Meagan Bens

Annotated Bibliography
Abstract
I will be studying the influence of white supremacy within hip hop culture, specifically rap
music. I am interested in the topic because I enjoy the music and history behind the musics
evolution in society. The rap music listened to today is incorporated into the mainstream of
society, most not knowing the logistics of the industry and the people who really control it. I plan
to address the concept that stereotypes within the music today stem from stereotypes from the
time of Americas establishment. Considering that a majority of the industrys consumers are
white youth, I want to highlight that the music contains violent, over-masculinized stereotypes
for the audiences enjoyment.
Chang, Jeff. "Fight the Power." Mother Jones 32.6 (2007): 67-94. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 11 Nov. 2015.
The article discusses whether rap music can discard its negative elements such as
violence, misogyny, and materialism and return to its roots. Throughout the years, rap has
become mainstream and corporate. The articles intended audience is society in general,
considering that hip hop and rap dominates on a national scale. The publisher, Mother
Jones, prints articles concerning national news, reports, arts, health, etc., so the article can
pertain to anyone. The writers purpose is to question whether the repetitive,
commercialized gangster rap can return to raps primary concern of advocating social
and political issues. Sections The Rap Monoculture and Hip-Hop is Dead; Long Live
Hip-Hop provide information about stereotypes and the business aspect behind the
music, which can be incorporated into my paper. Within those two sections, Chang
emphasizes the audiences role in producing new rap music. Chang mentions the genre
now looks like a monoculture whose product, like high-fructose corn syrup, is designed
not to nourish but simply to get us hooked on other products. The music industry today
embraces the over-masculinized thugs and perpetuates ancient stereotypes because that is
what the audience enjoys.
Jeffries, Michael P. Thug Life: Race, Gender, and the Meaning of Hip-hop. Chicago: U of
Chicago, 2011. Print.
Within the book, Jeffries explains that hip-hops commercial success raises questions
about its production and distribution. He illustrates that white men have power within the
corporations that control the creation of hip-hop. The book contains interview data to
compare white and black peoples perceptions, the relationship between what is cool and
black masculinity, historical background, and his interpretation of black male
performance in commercially successful rap. Although the book will appeal to those
interested in the genre of music, the book can inform the general public about the musics

impact on society today. The authors purpose is to explain his interpretation of hip-hops
significance throughout history and today. Hip-hop is not merely a type of music people
listen to it, it affects racial dynamics. The specifics about racial dynamics is what I plan
on incorporating into my paper. The first chapter in particular explains that rap has a
revolutionary message in effort to expose racial barriers. Within the fourth chapter
Hip-Hop Authenticity in Black and White, Jeffries claims that the majority that
purchase rap are white suburban kids who do not necessarily understand where the music
comes from. The small, personal accounts of white and black teens experiences with rap
will be the most useful.
Kajikawa, Loren. Sounding Race in Rap Songs. Oakland: U of California, 2015. Print.
Within the book, Kajikawa summarizes the progression of rap and racial formations
within the 80s and 90s. The book contains much more historical information and
evolution of the hip hop culture versus argumentative claims. For my paper, this source
would be most useful for my introduction and background information concerning my
topic. Considering the progression of rap, the book explains the rise of the gangster rap
that most audiences are familiar with today, which started with N.W.A., a group based out
of Compton, Los Angeles. While diving into the neoliberal nineties, Kajikawa explores
Eminems rise to popularity as a white rapper. Mentioning that black identity and white
identity are reciprocal in nature, the fourth chapter examines that Eminems success
depended on his music exhibiting whiteness in relation to blackness (Kajikawa 119). The
problem lies with the assumption that Eminem operates in a black industry, but the
corporations are controlled by whites and revenue stems from white youth. Without
historical background, one may believe whites are equally disadvantaged since the white
rapper struggled for acceptance in black Detroit. All the stereotypes and assumptions
highlighted within this chapter of the book would be the most useful for my paper.
Ralph, Michael. White Privilege and Hip-Hop." University Wire. Oct 06 2015. ProQuest. Web.
15 Nov. 2015 .
The writer, Michael Ralph, published the article in North Carolina State Universitys
student newspaper. Since it is included in a student newspaper, the intended audiences are
young adults and faculty at the university. The article explains how hip hop is a part of
black culture and whites immediately morph the culture to their liking. He provides
examples of whites singing along to rap today, but most likely having no knowledge of
the meaning behind the lyrics. I am particularly interested in the concept that hip hop has
been heavily transformed from its roots to its state now largely to benefit whites. The
writer claims the majority that purchase and own this music are white, and that the
distribution companies of the music are white. According to the article, hip hop is a
profitable business and the industry is an example of how whites profit off of black
culture. Although whites listen to the music for entertainment, Ralph suggests that hip
hop for blacks will always be more than just a song, the underlying purpose of the article
itself.

REBOLLO-GIL, Guillermo, and Amanda Moras. "Black Women and Black Men in Hip Hop
Music: Misogyny, Violence and the Negotiation of (White-Owned) Space." Journal of
Popular Culture 45.1 (2012): 118-32. SPORTDiscus with Full Text. Web. 9 Nov. 2015.
The online article discusses rap music, including the representation of black men and
women in the lyrics and white peoples interpretations of the lyrics. A brief history of the
musics movement is included, similar to many sources, and the writer explains how the
music has been homogenized to appeal to a majority of its audience. The writer
emphasizes the concept that rappers are contained in an industry that they do not control.
Rap songs include negative elements because those are the songs that sell. The article
analyzes the roots of the stereotypes and the racial hierarchy in America that creates these
generalizations. For my paper, I want to emphasize the idea that white producers and
consumers deny the possibility for blacks to empower themselves because they control
the industry. The music is subject to the same institutionalized racist forces within
schools, public offices, etc., and society as a whole plays a large part in its creation. The
article highlights the racist, patriarchal, and capitalist hierarchy that rap exists in.
Despite the fact that the black males are the most visible in the industry, rap is
institutionalized images of blackness in the white imagination.
White, Miles. African American Music in Global Perspective : From Jim Crow to Jay-Z : Race,
Rap, and the Performance of Masculinity. Champaign, IL, USA: University of Illinois
Press, 2011. Print.
Throughout Whites book, he reconsiders how African American music and how
questions concerning race have constructed the society we live in today. He proves that
race is still problematic and the genre should be critiqued and interrogated by those who
support the hip-hop culture. Chapter two, The Fire This Time: Black Masculinity and the
Politics of Racial Performance, claims that treatment of black now mirrors treatment of
them in the past. Race and ethnicity become resources for pleasure and white
supremacy is evident. The stereotypes that persist are primarily used throughout rap
music because they make the product appealing and marketable. Particularly interesting
and useful, the author mentions that rap music is a way for white teenagers to come to
terms with masculinity and identity. The next most useful chapter is Race Rebels:
Whiteness and the New Masculine Desire. White fascination with black stereotypes is
evident throughout the whole chapter. White youth who consume the music may act out
their fantasies of black masculinity as social rebellion (White 104). The music is their
outlet, their escape from their daily lives, a way to seek something different and
entertaining.